Lobelia plant named ‘LOBZ0017’

ABSTRACT

A new Lobelia plant named ‘LOBZ0017’ particularly distinguished by its relatively large, blue flowers with white eye, medium green foliage, very good branching and a mounding to upright plant habit.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Lobelia erinus.

Varietal denomination: ‘LOBZ0017’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Lobelia, botanically known as Lobelia erinus and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘LOBZ0017’.

‘LOBZ0017’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivar has relatively large, blue flowers with white eye, medium green foliage, very good branching and a mounding to upright plant habit.

The seed from which the variety was grown originates from a cross made in the greenhouse in August 2013, The Netherlands.

The female parent was an unpatented, proprietary Lobelia plant designated ‘LOB 04-288-1’, having smaller flowers, a lighter blue flower colour with eye and a more trailing growing habit than ‘LOBZ0017’.

The male parent of ‘LOBZ0017’ was an unpatented, proprietary Lobelia plant designated ‘LOB 12-395-1’, having a similar blue color but smaller white eye, a less branching habit but similar upright plant habit than ‘LOBZ0017’.

The resulting seeds were sown in May 2014 and ‘LOBZ0017’ was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in September 2014 in a controlled environment in Andijk, The Netherlands.

The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘LOBZ0017’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection in the fall of 2014 in a controlled environment in Andijk, The Netherlands.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plant initiated in the spring of 2015 in Andijk , The Netherlands, and continuing thereafter, has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for ‘LOBZ0017’ are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

‘LOBZ0017’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and day length.

A Plant Breeder's Right for this cultivar was applied for in the European Union on Nov. 23, 2018, No. 2018/3052. ‘LOBZ0017’ has not been made publicly available prior to the effective filing date of this application, notwithstanding any disclosure that may have been made less than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application by the inventor or another who obtained ‘LOBZ0017’ directly from the inventor.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of the new variety. The combination of these characteristics distinguishes this Lobelia as a new and distinct variety.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photograph drawings show typical flower and foliage characteristics of ‘LOBZ0017’ with colors being as true as possible with an illustration of this type. The drawings show in FIG. 1 a flowering potted plant of the new variety and in FIG. 2 a close-up of its flowers.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs were taken in April 2018 from plants grown in an indoor trial in Andijk, The Netherlands. These plants were grown in containers and were approximately 11 weeks of age. The close-up photograph was taken at the same time.

The measurements were taken in Andijk, The Netherlands in September 2018 on 18 week old plants that were grown outside in containers. Culture of these plants had started in week 21, 2018 with planting of rooted, non-pinched cuttings.

Color chart used: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.), 2001.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW VARIETY ‘LOBZ0017’ AND A MOST SIMILAR VARIETY

‘LOBZ0011’, U.S. Plant ‘LOBZ0017’ Pat. No. 28,868 Flower color: Blue Lighter blue White zone lower lip: Rather small Rather big Plant habit: Semi-upright Upright to semi upright

-   Plant:     -   -   Growth and habit.—Rather vigorous; dense and freely branched             with short internodes, mounding to semi trailing plant             habit.         -   Height.—About 10 cm.         -   Height (inflorescence included).—22 cm.         -   Width.—37 cm.         -   Branching characteristics.—6 main stems, each with 5 to 6             secondary branches.         -   Crop time to flowering, resp.—Time to produce a finished             flowering plant: About 12 weeks for a 12 cm pot.         -   Garden performance.—Used as patio planters, in mixed             container plantings, or in garden beds.         -   Time to initiate and develop roots.—14-20 days at 22° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous and freely branching. -   Stem:     -   -   Characteristics.—With slightly strengthened, protruding             edges, side branches are developed at almost every node.         -   Stem length.—Between 10-20 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.2-0.4 cm.         -   Internode length.—1.5-3.5 cm.         -   Color.—RHS 144A when young, RHS 137A when old.         -   Texture.—Slightly pubescent. -   Foliage:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire to slightly incised.         -   Leaf length.—2.6-3.6 cm.         -   Leaf width.—0.3-0.9 cm.         -   Immature leaf, color upper surface.—RHS 143A.         -   Immature leaf, color lower surface.—RHS 143A.         -   Mature color upper surface.—RHS 137A.         -   Mature color lower surface.—RHS 137C.         -   Venation type.—Pinnate.         -   Venation color, upper surface.—RHS 137A.         -   Venation color, lower surface.—RHS 137A.         -   Texture.—Short hairs on both surfaces.         -   Petiole.—No petiole, leaves are sessile. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type of inflorescence.—Raceme, composed of single flowers in             an alternate arrangement with one flower per node, subtended             by a small leaflet.         -   Blooming habit.—Continuous through the growing season from             spring to the fall.         -   Quantity of inflorescences per plant.—About 200.         -   Quantity of flowers per inflorescence.—2-3 open flowers.         -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—3-6 days,             depending on temperature.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Inflorescence length.—About 5 cm. -   Peduncle:     -   -   Color.—RHS 137A.         -   Length.—Up to 15 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.2 cm.         -   Texture.—Slightly pubescent. -   Pedicels:     -   -   Color.—RHS 137A.         -   Length.—2.2-3.0 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.1 cm.         -   Texture.—Slightly pubescent. -   Flower:     -   -   Corolla type and shape.—Single, zygomorphic; upper lip is             formed by two small petals, lower lip has three larger             petals; petals are fused at the base forming a relatively             long funnel-shaped tube. -   Immature flower:     -   -   Main color upper surface.—RHS 89B.         -   Main color lower surface.—RHS 89B.         -   Immature flower, width.—1.6 cm. -   Mature flower:     -   -   Flower, (horizontal) length.—2.0 cm.         -   Flower, (horizontal) width.—2.0 cm.         -   Flower, vertical length (depth).—2.0 cm.         -   Color upper lip, upper surface.—RHS 89B.         -   Color upper lip, lower surface.—RHS 89C.         -   Upper petal lobes, length (from the tube opening).—1.2 cm.         -   Upper petal lobes, width.—0.3 cm.         -   Color lower lip, upper surface.—RHS 89B.         -   Color lower lip, lower surface.—RHS 94B.         -   Nectaries at base of lower petals.—RHS 5A.         -   Lower petal lobes, length (from the corolla opening).—1.6             cm.         -   Lower petal lobes, width.—0.8 cm.         -   Tube, color (outside).—RHS 94B with longitudinal stripes RHS             155A.         -   Tube length.—0.9-1 cm.         -   Tube width.—0.3-0.4 cm. -   Petal (lobes):     -   -   Shape.—Obovate.         -   Apex.—Mucronulate.         -   Base.—Fused.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture upper surface.—Smooth; pubescent at base.         -   Texture lower surface.—Smooth. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Shape.—Gibbous.         -   Length.—0.6 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.4 cm.         -   Color (at tight bud).—RHS 145D. -   Calyx:     -   -   Shape.—5 sepals in a whorl, slanting outwards, bases fused.         -   Sepal color.—RHS 138A with red tip RHS 216A.         -   Sepal length.—0.9 cm.         -   Width.—0.2 cm.         -   Shape.—Ligulate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Fused.         -   Texture.—Smooth. -   Reproductive organs: -   Stamens:     -   -   Quantity.—5.         -   Filament, color.—RHS 94B.         -   Filament length.—0.6 cm.         -   Filament, diameter.—0.1 cm.         -   Anther color.—RHS 202B.         -   Anther length.—0.2 cm.         -   Pollen amount.—Not present. -   Pistil:     -   -   Quantity per flower.—1.         -   Length.—0.7 cm.         -   Stigma color.—RHS 200B.         -   Stigma length.—0.2 cm.         -   Style color.—RHS 138C.         -   Style length.—0.6-0.8 cm. -   Fruit and seed set: Yes, some seed development observed in the trial     fields. -   Disease and insect resistance: Resistance and susceptibility typical     for the species, no special observations made. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Lobelia plant named ‘LOBZ0017’ substantially as illustrated and described herein. 